Work

The use of strain to tailor electronic thermoelectric transport properties: A first principles study of 2H-phase CuAlO2

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Using first principles calculations, the use of strain to adjust electronic transport and the resultant thermoelectric (TE) properties are discussed using 2H phase CuAlO2 as a test case. Transparent oxide materials, such as CuAlO2, a p-type transparent conducting oxide (TCO), have recently been studied for high temperature TE power generators and coolers for waste heat. Given TCO materials with relative ease of fabrication, low cost of materials, and non-toxicity, the ability to tailor them to specific temperature ranges, power needs, and size requirements through the use of strain opens an interesting avenue. We find that strain can have a significant effect on these properties, in some cases detrimental and in others beneficial, including the potential for n-type power factors larger than the highest p-type case. The physical reasons for this behavior are explained in terms of the TE transport distribution and the Landauer distribution of modes.

Source: Journal of Applied Physics

DOI: 10.1063/1.5058275

Authors: Evan Witkoske, David Guzman, Yining Feng, Alejandro Strachan, Mark Lundstrom, Na Lu

Institutions: Purdue University West Lafayette, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences